Feb 19, 2025, 06:36 PM ET Open Extended Reactions MADRID, Spain — Kylian Mbappé sealed Real Madrid‘s 6-3 aggregate victory over Manchester City with a hat trick at the Santiago Bernabéu as the reigning European champions booked their place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Real, seeking their sixteenth Champions League title, went
Leagues
ESPN Feb 19, 2025, 05:41 PM ET Email Print Open Extended Reactions Wednesday marks the second and final day of the knockout phase playoff second legs for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season. Europe’s premier club competition is now whittling down teams as the round of 16 awaits the winners. Enjoy the play-by-play from all
Open Extended Reactions Pulisic is one of Milan’s best players this season, but in the wake of a midseason coaching change and a UEFA Champions League exit, he’s having to prove himself all over again. ESPN Illustration MILAN, Italy — Once again, Christian Pulisic finds himself with something to prove at AC Milan. Maybe it shouldn’t
Open Extended Reactions Paris FC’s new home will be across the street from Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes. GERARD JULIEN/AFP Reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are to have new next-door neighbours as of next season following last week’s announcement that uber-trendy Ligue 2 side Paris FC are moving into the Stade Jean-Bouin, situated almost literally
Open Extended Reactions Jude Bellingham has been handed a two-game ban after his red card in Real Madrid‘s 1-1 LaLiga draw at Osasuna on Saturday was upheld by the Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee. Madrid will appeal the decision that sees the England international banned for the LaLiga games against Girona and Real Betis. Referee
Adriana Garcia Feb 19, 2025, 05:09 AM ET Open Extended Reactions AC Milan senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has defended his club’s transfer policy after the Rossoneri‘s disappointing exit from the Champions League on Tuesday. Needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from their playoff opening leg, 10-man Milan drew 1-1 at home to Feyenoord, meaning they
Feb 18, 2025, 11:30 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his striker Ademola Lookman is “one of the worst penalty takers he has ever seen” after his miss from the spot hindered a comeback in their home 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday. Lookman pulled
Open Extended Reactions LAFC striker Olivier Giroud lost approximately $500,000 worth of jewelry when his Los Angeles home was burglarized earlier this month, a source told ESPN. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Tuesday they had responded Feb. 5 to a report of a window smash at a home in west L.A. The caller,
Open Extended Reactions MILAN, Italy — Who knows exactly what thoughts lurked inside the head of Theo Hernández, just beneath his shocking pink tufts of hair, when he made the most boneheaded of decisions five minutes into the second half of AC Milan‘s Champions League playoff second-leg clash against Feyenoord? Games don’t often turn on
Feb 18, 2025, 11:38 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Tuesday marks the first day of the knockout phase playoff second legs for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season. Europe’s premier club competition is now whittling down teams as the round of 16 awaits the winners. Enjoy the play-by-play from all of Tuesday’s games: Bayern Munich
Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Feb 18, 2025, 01:03 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Barcelona‘s financial situation continues to improve after LaLiga confirmed their annual spending cap is now over €463 million ($483.7m), an increase of nearly €40m from the beginning of the season. At this same time last year, Barça’s limit had been slashed to
Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Feb 18, 2025, 08:01 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Carlo Ancelotti said he prefers Champions League referees — saying there’s “less controversy and fewer VAR interventions” — as Real Madrid prepare to face Manchester City in their playoff second leg in the midst of a row over LaLiga officiating. Madrid won
Feb 18, 2025, 04:46 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Spain’s football federation (RFEF) said referees are sickened by the abuse Jose Munuera Montero has received since he showed Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham a red card and the situation reflects the “hatred and verbal violence” match officials have to endure. Montero believed the 21-year-old England midfielder
Feb 18, 2025, 04:13 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Arne Slot has talked up Marcus Rashford ahead of Liverpool’s clash against Aston Villa. Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images Liverpool boss Arne Slot has said he expects Marcus Rashford to thrive at Aston Villa following his loan move to the club last month. “The first time
Open Extended Reactions Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirmed Jules Koundé was dropped for Monday’s 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano after arriving late for a pre-match meeting. It’s the second time this season Koundé’s tardiness has cost him his place in the side. He was also benched against Alavés in October for the same reason. Kounde
Feb 17, 2025, 03:03 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Real Valladolid have sacked manager Diego Cocca after just eight games in charge, the LaLiga club said on Monday, with the team bottom of the standings following a run of five consecutive defeats. Cocca was appointed on Dec. 14 with a contract until the end of
Lizzy Becherano Feb 17, 2025, 02:05 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Inter Miami‘s first-leg match of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Sporting Kansas City will now be played on Feb. 19, after the sporting organization decided to postpone the event by 24 hours due to the adverse weather conditions in Kansas City. According to multiple
Feb 17, 2025, 11:39 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Arsenal have been fined £65,000 ($82,000) after their players were deemed to have behaved in an “improper way” following Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month. Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the 43rd minute — much to the annoyance of manager Mikel Arteta —
Adriana Garcia Feb 17, 2025, 07:46 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Argentina great Ángel Di María has said he continues to take medication to cope with the disappointment and pressure of losing three straight finals with his national team. While the Benfica winger won the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América at the
Open Extended Reactions Liverpool could move 10 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League if they beat Aston Villa in midweek, but if they lose then Arne Slot’s team could travel to Manchester City on Sunday with their lead cut to four and the first signs of a title wobble developing.